49 CASA volunteers sworn-in to help Austin kids

Jun 20 2013

By Callie Langford

Our Swearing-In Ceremony on Tuesday was an exciting and emotional event. We celebrated 49 CASA volunteers officially being sworn-in to their roles as guardians ad litem for children in need in Austin. Judge Darlene Byrne admitted that she tears up each time she leads volunteers through the oath.

"When you say you promise to always protect and promote the best interest of each child you represent… I can’t tell you what a commitment that truly is. I thank you for it. It’s very courageous," said Judge Byrne.

She was also proud to share that when she had been on a phone call with other judges from across the country earlier that day, they were staggered to hear that Austin would be swearing-in nearly 50 volunteers that evening.

As Judge Byrne addressed the volunteers and their friends and family, she told them:

It’s about one kid at a time. It seems daunting, but when we focus on changing the life of just one child, isn’t that enough? That one child is going to change the lives of others. We just start a ripple effect. It doesn’t take a village, although a village is nice. If we can start with one and build a village for that kid, we’ll do some amazing work.

I encourage you to walk in this crazy wild journey we’re about to embark on together. The children need your help. They will have a better outcome if you’re there standing beside them.

We welcome all of our new CASA volunteers and congratulate everyone who was sworn-in this week. You can see all of the photos from the June 18th Swearing-In Ceremony on Flickr and Facebook.